Dr. Robin Lovrien Schwarz recently presented a wonderful webinar for Reading Horizons titled: “Using Learning Centers to Meet Needs in Multilevel ESL Classrooms.” The webinar discussed three different approaches for differentiating an adult ESL classroom to meet the needs of multilevel students.

During the presentation, Dr. Lovrien Schwarz referenced a discussion from the LINCS (Literacy Information and Communication System) website. There was a lot of interest in following this discussion and it can be found here:

LINCS Discussion on Non-Literate Adult Students >

Here are some of the questions and answers from the Q&A session of the webinar:

Q: How do you split up students who are at different levels but that speak the same language and don’t like to be split up?

A: It’s a difficult situation. Everybody has a comfort zone in their own language and you have to pick your battles. Especially since many cultures are very objectionable and have strong opinions and don’t want to be split up. For reading activities, they are probably at about the same level and I would let them be their own group. It might be good to start off by just adding a few students to their group, rather than trying to change it. Then, when you do activities where they need to pair off in twos, you can try and get them to pair off with someone that isn’t from their “group.”

Q: Strategies on modeling/introducing activities for learning centers to students?

A: I always model the activities and then walk around and make sure everyone knows what to do. Also, if you have a student(s) that already knows what to do then let them explain to the rest of the group what to do. It gives them a level of importance that they don’t often get to feel. And, what I’ve found, is that sometimes the students understand it better when it comes from a peer rather than a teacher.

Q: How do you deal with students that speak in their native language while you are instructing a class?

A: This is hard because I typically have a strict no talking while I’m instructing policy. But in ESL classes this usually happens because someone is translating for another student who doesn’t understand. It drives us ESL teachers crazy. If it’s during instruction you have to be strong about saying I can’t have people talking while I’m teaching. You may need to separate people to prevent this from happening. That’s what’s great about using a learning center approach - it forces the students to use the English language to complete the activities, so even if there are people talking in their native language it doesn’t matter because eventually they have to grapple with the English to complete the task. If you get away from a teacher led class, than you get away from the problem of people talking while you are teaching.

Q: Should the learning centers approach be used for the entire class time, or just for a portion of the class?

A: If you are only using learning centers for reading, than take the entire reading time using learning centers. However, if you are using learning centers to teach every aspect of ESL learning, than it should be used for the entire time - because it answers this problem of how to teach a multilevel class.

Q: What to do if adult ESL students are resistant to using games?

A: Introduce activities and games very carefully and very slowly and let students see for themselves that they are learning effectively. Every adult student from every culture will be resistant to this - until they see that it is working. Also try using games that aren’t obviously games. E.g. having students test each other using index cards. Initially you may want to start with just paper and pencil activities in the learning centers. Be very gradual in moving students into activities that are less and less formal. What my research has found is that when students know they are learning from activities - than they are happy to do them.

Q: How does the learning center approach work with high school students and other age groups?

A: It works with every level. I’ve never seen a level where it didn’t work. The key is to show the students that it is useful and that it’s not just a social hour. You have to take it seriously in order to make it successful. For high school students it may be effective to use activities that involve a lot of self-discovery learning. Make it so each center has tasks that need to be mastered.

Key Points about the Importance of Differentiated Instruction:

• A single lesson, no matter how well designed, led by one teacher in front of a diverse set of students cannot possibly meet the needs of all the students.
• It’s just not good enough to teach to the middle and hope for the best.
• The only way to meet the needs of every student in a classroom is to differentiate instruction.
• If you get away from a teacher led class, than you get away from the problem of people talking while you are teaching.

View the full webinar: “Using Learning Centers to Meet Needs in Multilevel ESL Classrooms” >

Guest Post by: Robyn Shulman, M.Ed.

From the 1997-98 school year to the 2008-09 school year, the amount of ESL learners enrolled in U.S. public schools increased from 3.5 million to 5.3 million, a 51% increase (National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2011). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2008, there are now over 200 languages spoken in the United States.

The number of ESL students is highly disproportionate to the amount of ESL and/or Bilingual teachers in the US today. Without the number of necessary trained ESL/Bilingual teachers, and lack of first language support, it is imperative that mainstream teachers play a major role in contributing to the success of the ESL student. ESL students can and will be successful given that all teachers provide the necessary platform and ongoing continuum of support. This support must come from both an ESL pedagogical view, as well as, an emotional, social, and developmental lens.

The 10 tips and strategies below are intended to help mainstream teachers meet the needs of our wonderful, diverse population. The first 5 tips focus on social, developmental and emotional needs, while the last 5 focus on ESL pedagogy, methods and strategies. Using these tips together will provide a balanced approach, as they are both integral to English acquisition.

Social, Emotional and Developmental Needs:

1. Cultural Awareness: All teachers should take a moment to self-reflect about their own understandings and questions in regard to cultural differences. Take the time to learn about different cultures, gestures, and traditions and celebrate these differences with all of the students in the classroom. Encourage all students to share their culture with classmates.

2. Empathize: Try to imagine how overwhelming it must feel to leave your home country and family members while trying to assimilate, learn, and socialize in a foreign language. Be aware that ESL students will be in culture shock and feel highly alienated for some time. Garner patience and understand that it will take time for ESL students to talk, as a silent period is highly expected. Smile and show support to your best ability.

3. Provide A Comfort Zone:  Assess where the ESL student's abilities are in relation to basic survival skills and needs. Assign a friendly and welcoming buddy to assist with common school locations, requirements, and routines. If possible, keep an extra eye out during busy transition times to assure the student gets to the correct location. If possible, find someone in the school, another classmate, parent or volunteer that may speak the student's language. Connecting the student with someone who speaks his/her native language will provide a great deal of comfort.

4. Spotlight Respect For All Cultures: Reaffirm the message about being supportive of one another, kind, understanding and patient. Encourage everyone to openly talk about his or her personal culture, traditions, and languages. Have parties celebrating the different cultures in the class, sharing music, historical family photos, dances, games, food and traditions. Hold discussions about the history of America, immigration, and the value of diversity and differences. Encourage students to share their own stories of immigration, passed down from generation to generation.

5. Community: If parents and/or guardians do not speak English, request an interpreter if possible for all school communication, including parties, conferences and special events. Invite parents to all school community functions to encourage and foster a sense of belonging. If possible, introduce other students and/or families who speak the same language as the ESL student. Sharing cultural commonalities will provide strong bonds for students, parents, and teachers.

ESL Pedagogy, Methods, and Strategies:

6. Assess Student Informally: Assess ESL students on an informal basis when they first arrive to class, and ongoing during the school year. It is imperative to primarily check for understanding in regard to basic and social needs. Pay attention from the sideline to see if they know numbers, letters, and/or short English phrases. Continuously check for comprehension and growth informally, make notes, and never be afraid to raise the bar and challenge a bit.

7. Don't Discourage Native Language Use: With all good intentions, this is a common mistake teachers can make. ESL students who have a stronger foundation of their native language will have a shorter route to acquiring English. Don't discourage native language use, as this will result in negative feelings about the student's language, culture, and may cause delay in English language acquisition. Provide free time for the ESL student to read and write in their native language.

8. Use Manipulatives, Visuals, Games, Music and Hands-On Activities in the Classroom:  According to William Glaser, we learn 80% of what we experience, and 95% of what we teach others. ESL students do exceptionally well when this theory is followed. Involve them in projects that will encourage them to talk as much as possible with their classmates. Some ideas for projects are the following: cooking (following easy directions), art (drawing, painting, sculpture), musical activities (music provides an amazing platform for learning), and acting (for example, charades).

9. Provide Various Opportunities For Talking and Consider Seat Placement:  It is very important to consider seat placement in the classroom for the ESL student. All too often, ESL students are seated in the back of the classroom, which leads to a great lack of contribution, listening, and participation. Try and seat the ESL student close to the front, especially with other students who are inviting and enjoy conversation. Provide the most opportunities as possible for talking and listening to others in the class via group work. You will be surprised how much shorter the silent period will end.

10. Communicate with the ESL teacher: Maintain communication with the ESL teacher as much as possible. The sooner both teachers are working together, the quicker the student will learn English. Be open to the ESL teacher's suggestions, let him/her share in the modification of classwork, and invite the ESL teacher into your classroom. If there is a concern, a question, or if you simply need some advice, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Build this open communication bridge together, as both teachers are there to support and help the ESL student succeed.

About Robyn: Robyn Shulman, M.Ed., is an ESL and mainstream certified teacher in the state of Illinois. She taught in both areas for 7 years, working with pre-school through adult learners. For the past 6 years, she has been working as an academic and career advisor in the ESL/Bilingual field. She currently works for Max My Career as an ESL/Bilingual consultant, working with Illinois school districts, providing workshops, recruiting teachers, and offering career guidance for teachers. You can visit her website at: http://www.maxmycareer.com for more information. 

A reading publisher has been contacting you for weeks looking for an appointment so that he can demo his reading program. Before you get swept away by the hype and hyperbole of used “everywhere,” ask the account rep these five questions:

1)    What does the post-purchase professional development and training look like? It’s critical that teachers not only understand how to implement the reading program with fidelity but they also need to know how to actually teach reading. You might be surprised by how many teachers don’t know how to teach basic decoding and encoding skills. You will want a reading software publisher to provide affordable and sustainable training for your teachers.

2)    Does the reading software come with non-consumable direct instruction materials? The right reading program offers a complement of direct instruction and individual computer aided programs. Why spend money purchasing new books and instructional materials every year when you should be able to access materials that can copied and re-copied at will? 

3)    Does the reading program align with Common Core State Standards? As budgets get tighter and the scrutiny becomes more acute, administrators are saying no to the quick fix reading programs. 

4)    Is there any kind of guarantee if the reading program does not help students show a significant improvement in their reading skills during the school year? This should be true of both programs that supplement emerging readers and reading software for remediation like RTI and learning disabilities. 

5)    Is the program research based? A proven reading software program should be able to demonstrate how their methodology and rationale is current and effective. Ask for the publisher's research packets to get an idea of whether or not the results are fact or folly.

EdWeek published an article last October about Finding the Right Reading Program. I was drawn to the section that spoke to Clarifying What You Mean by Reading Problem. In essence educators need to be certain that teachers understand why students are struggling readers. Is it fluency, phonemic awareness, comprehension, or combination of these issues that have stymied the students' progress? 

This means that an educator needs to find a reading program that also includes an assessment-guided approach. Whatever decision you make, don’t forget to get input from your teachers. They are at the frontline of education and their opinions and ideas matter more than ever.

What criteria do you use when selecting reading software and programs for your schools?

Recently, Dr. Robin Lovrien Schwarz presented a very resourceful webinar for Reading Horizons on teaching emerging literacy to non-literate ELL students (with an emphasis on adult learners). Here are some of the questions and answers from the presentation:

What is the difference in the timeline of learning these skills between a kindergartener and an ELL adult?

We have no norms whatsoever for non-literate adult learners particularly those coming from a different language. It is very difficult to say what is normal. But don’t forget that a kindergarten child has already spent 6 years pursuing pre-reading training and has heard language and played with literacy based tools, such as books and toys with letters. It’s not comparable to compare a non-literate adult to a kindergarten child.

It was said that English readers start in the left corner and read down the page, has this changed with the prevalence of internet use?

No.

What are some of the significant differences between students from oral cultures and literate cultures who have not themselves participated in literacy?

There are two big differences between these groups. One is, a person from a literate culture knows that books and signs contain important information that is helpful to them. A person from an oral culture has no orientation to text whatsoever – so they aren’t even looking for information from text. The other thing is that people who come from oral cultures have a heightened sense of oral information.

How to differentiate whether a ELL student has a learning disability or if the student is just taking longer to learn the material?

It’s almost impossible to determine that and besides even if you did determine that you would still teach them in the same way – start with what they know and gradually build on that. You should rarely focus on learning disabilities when it comes to ELL students.

Does the age of the non-literate ELL learner affect their success in accomplishing literacy?

Probably… but there is little scientific data on this. We do know that age makes processing more difficult for older learners. But  I have worked with learners that are in their 70’s and 80’s that have had success. It is very individualized.

Where do you stand on teaching literacy through a student’s first language rather than English (their 2nd language)?

No question it’s easier to teach students that are literate in their first language, however, students that are not literate in their 1st language may not want to learn literacy in their 1st  language because it doesn’t offer them much value. Also many of these learners do not have a written language in their 1st language.

Click here to watch the entire webinar and to download the presentation slides! >

With the vast majority of states adopting a uniform set of standards for their students to achieve, how does this effect students with special needs? What are the standards for ELL students and students with learning disabilities?

Here is what the official Common Core State Standards say regarding students with special needs in regards to the language arts:

It is beyond the scope of the Standards to define the full range of supports appropriate for English language learners and for students with special needs. At the same time, all students must have the opportunity to learn and meet the same high standards if they are to access the knowledge and skills necessary in their post–high school lives.

Each grade will include students who are still acquiring English. For those students, it is possible to meet the standards in reading, writing, speaking, and listening without displaying native-like control of conventions and vocabulary.

The Standards should also be read as allowing for the widest possible range of students to participate fully from the outset and as permitting appropriate accommodations to ensure maximum participation of students with special education needs. For example, for students with disabilities reading should allow for the use of Braille, screen-reader technology, or other assistive devices, while writing should include the use of a scribe, computer, or speech-to text technology. In a similar vein, speaking and listening should be interpreted broadly to include sign language.

Try a free 30-day trial of Reading Horizons software to see how it can help students with special needs improve their reading skills! >